Manufacturers are increasingly turning to innovative wireless applications and services to help meet higher productivity goals and respond to stricter security and environmental regulations. They recognise how wireless technologies can enable applications that will not only help meet immediate requirements, but also solve problems in the future.
Honeywell’s OneWireless Network is a multi-application, multi-standard wireless network that can be tailored to offer the coverage needed for industrial applications, from a simple wireless field instrument network to a completely integrated plant wide, multi-application wireless network. Seamlessly extending process control into the field allows the site to:
* Cost effectively and quickly roll out battery powered wireless transmitters to collect additional data to improve control strategies or meet environmental regulations.
* Empower a mobile workforce by providing remote access to process data and other plant-related information.
* Enhance a plant’s security by implementing wireless closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
* Improve personnel safety thanks to a wireless personnel safety system.
* Connect remote controllers to the central control system.
OneWireless Network pillars
The OneWireless Network can be composed of the following interconnected components: OneWireless Wireless Device Manager (WDM), OneWireless Field Device Access Points (FDAP), Cisco wireless controllers, Cisco Aironet1552S Access Points, and OneWireless XYR 6000 field instruments.
Wireless Device Manager
WDM manages all wireless field devices, which includes ISA100.11a wireless field instruments and network infrastructure devices such as FDAPs, Multinodes and the Cisco Access Point. WDM assumes the roles of the wireless field instruments’ network gateway, system manager and security manager. It is used for initial wireless device configuration and to store wireless network system data for configuring wireless devices. It is also the trust for the wireless field instrument network by generating, issuing and managing security keys, which all field devices require in order to join the secured network. These security keys can be provisioned to wireless field devices via infrared and over-the-air provisioning methods as defined by the ISA100.11a Standard.
The WDM hosts all the interfaces required to send ISA100.11a data to control applications via Modbus (serial and TCP/IP), HART OPC UA and OPC DA. In addition, it supports peer-to-peer communication with Experion nodes using Experion’s CDA protocol. Once powered up and authenticated, ISA100.11a field instruments are automatically recognised by Experion and ready to be used without any data mapping.
Field Device Access Point
A FDAP is a rugged industrial access point which provides access to ISA100.11a field instruments. Once deployed in the field, FDAPs self-discover and self-organise into a managed, secure and redundant wireless field instrument mesh network. They act as bridges between the sensor network and the wireless or wired infrastructure (backhaul).
Cisco Aironet 1552S Outdoor Access Point
The Cisco Aironet 1552S Access Point is a rugged industrial access point and mesh bridge node, which provides access to IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n clients as well as ISA100.11a-compatible field instruments. The product boasts Cisco’s CleanAir Technology, which intelligently optimises the network around RF interference sources and improves the air quality, thus significantly increasing network performance and user experience.
Cisco wireless controllers
Cisco wireless controllers help reduce the overall operational expenses of a network designed with Cisco’s Aironet 1552S Access Point, and extend the same Cisco Borderless Network policy and security from the wired network core to the wireless edge. Cisco’s wireless controller delivers:
* Flexibility to configure wireless policy, management, or security settings on remote access points through centralised provisioning and management.
* Wireless intrusion prevention system (WIPS) capabilities.
* Enforcement of centrally-defined policy across wired and wireless networks and integration with
* Cisco Identity Services Engine.
* Support for advanced mobility services, including ClientLink, VideoStream and CleanAir technology.
Honeywell OneWireless XYR 6000 field instruments
XYR 6000 field instruments enable customers to obtain data and create information from locations where running wire is typically cost prohibitive. Field instruments can be configured as routing or non-routing devices. Routing field instruments can not only send their own data, but also data received from neighbouring field instruments. These devices can also be upgraded to ISA100 via a simple over the air firmware update.
Advantages
Flexibility and scalability
OneWireless Network offers users the choice to design the network best fitting their applications needs.
Meshing field instruments: Each ISA100 field instrument can communicate with more than one other field instrument to form a mesh network. Field instruments cannot only send their own data, but can also route data received from neighbouring field instruments. The data can also jump through multiple field instruments before reaching the host gateway. This type of network is typically implemented by users who want to employ a handful of battery-operated field instruments to be used for non-critical monitoring purposes and do not require fast update rates.
Mesh network for field instruments only: Access points for wireless field instruments enable users to build a plant-wide wireless mesh network capable of supporting hundreds of field instruments sending data at fast update rates down to 1 sec. This type of network is typically implemented by users who want reliable wired-like performance with fast update rates from their battery operated field instruments for critical monitoring and control while maximising battery life. This network does not provide wireless coverage for Wi-Fi devices such as handhelds, nor for Ethernet devices such as digital security cameras.
Mesh network for field instruments and Wi-Fi devices: Multi-application access points capable of communicating with ISA100.11a field instruments and IEEE 802.11 devices enable users to design a plant-wide multi-application network. This type of network is typically implemented for users who want to employ handhelds for their mobile workforce, personnel safety and plant security systems, as well as hundreds of field instruments for monitoring and control purposes. This network combines Wi-Fi coverage with the best of the two previously mentioned networks.
Users will implement these different types of network devices throughout their plant based on the kind of coverage needed and monitor the network via a single network management application.
Universal network
OneWireless Network supports all standards required to implement industrial applications.
Multi-standard network: OneWireless Network supports ISA100.11a standard for wireless field instruments, IEEE 802.11 for Wi-Fi devices and IEEE 802.3 for Ethernet-based devices.
Multi-protocol network: Users can easily integrate ISA100.11a data with their existing applications using field protocol interfaces HART, Modbus (serial and TCP) and OPC. In addition to these interfaces, gateway client interface (GCI) is offered. The GCI allows third-party client applications to interoperate with the Wireless Device Manager and ISA100.11a devices that are leveraging ISA100.11a’s tunnelling feature. ISA100.11a can tunnel other protocols, in other words, encapsulate another protocol (e.g., proprietary, HART, Foundation Fieldbus) and transport the data between the host application and the device. There are several field device manufacturers already using this feature to transport their proprietary protocol over the ISA100.11a network.
A multi-standard, multi-protocol network drastically reduces the cost associated with the deployment, maintenance and security management of a wireless network.
High data availability
Honeywell offers excellent data availability for wireless field instruments.
Redundant path: Each ISA100.11a device can auto-discover neighbouring ISA100.11a devices and establish a communication path with these devices. Similarly, each Cisco Aironet 1552S Access Point can auto-discover other neighbouring access points and establish a communication path with them. This feature allows the formation of multiple paths between the client device and the host application, thus increasing the data availability.
Data segregation: Users can prioritise the data being transported over the OneWireless Network. The data prioritisation is implemented via IP QoS tagging. By default, all process data are tagged with the highest priority, ensuring critical information from wireless instruments is always received first.
Channel blacklisting: Users can determine and configure the channels available for communication in the network. This method is often used to improve network performance by preventing interferences between various devices.
Antenna diversity: Antenna diversity is used to enhance the reliability of both the Wi-Fi and field instrument wireless coverage in multi-path environments.
Investment protection
Honeywell’s industrial wireless portfolio is future-proof due to the adoption of communications standards.
ISA100.11a and IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n: Standards offer the freedom of choice and interoperability requested by users. Existing wireless users can migrate their infrastructure to an ISA100.11a-compatible one via a simple over-the-air firmware upgrade. ISA100.11a ensures interoperability between wireless field instruments from different vendors.
Support of all key field protocols: Leveraging its multi-protocol capability, users can easily integrate wireless field instruments with their existing applications using Modbus, HART, OPC, GCI and Experion PKS CDA (communication protocol used by Experion nodes).
Experion integration
Experion users can take advantage of the OneWireless’ integration with Experion PKS. Experion nodes such as C300 controllers and ACE nodes can communicate directly with the WDM and ISA100.11a field devices. This tight integration significantly reduces the time spent incorporating a wireless field instrument into a control strategy. Experion data can also be safely and securely accessed via mobile handheld devices, allowing the mobile workforce to be more responsive to operational changes.
Honeywell’s OneWireless Network extends the process control network into the field. It is:
* Flexible and scalable network for the industrial market.
* Easy to commission and maintain.
* Reliable and field proven for maximum uptime.
* A cost efficient network solution.
For more information contact Boni Magudulela, Honeywell Southern Africa, +27 (0)11 695 8000, [email protected], www.honeywell.co.za
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